ArticleInternational journal of STD & AIDS2024
Does genital herpes symptom history predict herpes simplex virus type 2 antibody positivity?
Article in International journal of STD & AIDS, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
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Abstract
backgroundSexually transmitted infections (STIs) associated with genital ulcer disease due to herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) are a prominent cause of morbidity and mortality. Serologic screening for HSV-2 is recommended only for individuals with genital herpes symptom history. However, no validated symptom screening tool currently exists.
methodsCurrently asymptomatic adults presenting for routine care at STI clinics in Lima, Peru completed a survey of prior genital herpes symptoms and received HSV-2 serological testing with the Euroimmun Anti-HSV-2 (gG2) ELISA IgG (Lubeck, Germany). A sub-sample of indeterminate results were sent for Western blot confirmatory testing. We assessed associations between past symptoms and anti-HSV-2 positivity and corrected the HSV-2 prevalence by re-classifying indeterminates per Western Blot results.
resultsWe enrolled 131 participants between July and October 2022. HSV-2 antibody test results found 21.4% positive, 41.2% indeterminate, and 37.4% negative. Excluding indeterminate results, 36.4% were positive. Of participants with no prior symptoms 31.2% tested positive, compared to 35.7% with one prior symptom, 50.0% with 2, and 50.0% with 3+ prior symptoms. Among the sub-sample of indeterminates, 92.6% were confirmed positive by Western Blot, bringing the total estimated proportion of participants with HSV-2 antibodies to 59.5%. Either based on the original classification of HSV-2 antibody status or after incorporation of confirmatory testing results, there was no significant association between symptom history and HSV-2 antibody positivity.
conclusionsWith currently available tests, recommendations to screen individuals based on genital herpes symptom history may not be useful. More discriminatory symptom screening tools or HSV-2 antibody tests with better performance are needed.
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